Protecting the environment with intelligence

Mary Rice welcomes in 2011

7th January, 2011

New Year Greetings one and all. Here we go again. But before we do, I want to say a big ‘Thank You’ to all of you – members, supporters, Facebook followers and Twitter fans – for taking an interest in EIA’s work and for lending your support wherever and whenever you can as EIA could not do this without you.

I can’t believe we’ve already said goodbye to another year. Where do they go? I have to admit that it’s been a struggle to drag my brain kicking and screaming back to the fray; the seasonal interlude seems like a distant memory already. Business as usual and certainly our inimitable brand of investigation and campaigning will once again be in big demand. Operating as independent eyes and ears, prepared to say what needs to be said, constantly raising the bar and setting new benchmarks and expectations for key governments and decision makers, we have a number of key targets for the coming year.

As the Year of the Tiger draws to a close in February, it remains to be seen whether the adoption of the St Petersburg Declaration and the Global Tiger Recovery Program in November 2010 will set tigers in the wild on the road to recovery, doubling the tiger population by 2022 which is the ambitious goal. EIA will continue to monitor and assess whether the political promises made have been turned into action or whether they are just lip service.

Will forests be smiling in 2011?

Whilst 2011 has been earmarked as international Year of Forests, we have our work cut out for us in pushing through EU legislation to ensure that the wood products that reach our markets are indeed legal and not laundered as is so often the case. 2011 should also see the publication of our extensive investigation into Britain’s illegal e-waste trade with the aim of campaigning for change in the way we handle our e-waste and for improved enforcement of existing regulations. And of course our work combating illegal trade in ozone depleting substances continues, as do our efforts to protect Whales and Dolphins… Elephants continue to be under threat from poaching and illegal trade… EIA will be releasing the findings of a recent on-site investigation in China

Ivory products.

which will demonstrate that large amounts of illegal ivory continue to flood into China – despite the fact that the Chinese authorities secured 60+tonnes in the official one-off stockpile sale back in 2009. Initial analysis indicates that rather than curb the market, the demand has actually increased. I’m tempted to say “told you so”, but that would be churlish. The list goes on…and whilst it may sometimes seem that we are simply plugging a hole in the dam, it’s important to remember that all efforts, no matter how small, do make a difference.

Save the Wild Tiger Forum - Dec 2010.

Keep an eye out for forthcoming events; following on from the RGS evening in there will be a Gala dinner on the 3rd March at the Mandarin oriental in Knightsbridge. And following on from the success of the National Geographic film on EIA’s work on the Tiger Campaign, there are three more films in the pipeline. Watch this space.

So, in signing off and in the words of Mark Twain, “New Year’s Day: Now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual.”

EIA on Facebook

Komodo National Park in West Manggarai regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), is being threatened by the cutting down of mangrove trees around the park’s perimeter.

House of Representatives Commission IV members visited the park and received information from West Manggarai residents about the felling of mangrove trees.

The park office has been urged to immediately take stern measures against those who cut down mangrove trees in the park or its buffer zones as felling mangrove trees is against the law.

West Manggarai community figure Pastor Marselinus Agot, who once received an environmental award from the Forestry Ministry, told The Jakarta Post on Monday that law enforcers in the regency never took action against offenders.

Marselinus said law enforcers in the regency were reluctant to act against any officials responsible for environmental damage and instead opted to arrest civilians.

Canada: Iceland's whale meat has been shipped through Vancouver, local MP claims

Canada is opposed to the hunting of the endangered fin whale but apparently can’t do anything about being used as a conduit for the animal’s meat.

MP Don Davies on Monday used the fact World Wildlife Day is Tuesday to highlight that Canada is being used to facilitate trade in whale meat.

Canada is part of an agreement, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, that bans commercial hunting of endangered species. The fin whale, which is the second-largest creature, after the blue whale, remains at risk.

The proceeds of elephant and rhino poaching in Africa are currently equivalent to as much as $380 million, the United Nations Congress on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora said.

Poaching of elephants for ivory, which is reducing the population of the animals faster than they can reproduce, is worth $165 million to $188 million a year in Asia while the rhino-horn trade last year was valued at between $63 million and $192 million, Cites figures show, the UN said in a statement on Tuesday, which has been designated as Wildlife Day.

Wildlife crime has grown into one of the largest transnational organized criminal activities, according to the UN.